"Batman Begins" - A Franchise Resurrected

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After viewing the catastrophe that was “Batman and Robin”, it felt as if the Batman Franchise had been inflicted with the type of wound that you don’t recover from. To no one’s surprise, it took more than eight years for the franchise to recover, and produce another film. “Batman and Robin” left such a bitter taste in peoples mouth, (with it being so cartoonish and un-comical) that you would need a good amount of time to get over it. A decent period of time to erase that unpleasant movie from their minds. Thankfully, after a good measure of time, proper steps were taken to revive the Batman Franchise. In this latest film called “Batman Begins” we encounter a film that is completely opposite to its predecessor. Which is exactly what was needed. Unlike “Batman and Robin”, this new film is fresh, fun, and has a story that is actually worth telling. When Bruce Wayne was a mere child he stood witness to the horrific event of his parent being taken by the gun of a stranger. A deep mental scar that makes him become utterly obsessed with revenge and avenging his parents. But the opportunity is uncontrollably taken away from him. Fleeing to the East, where he stumbles into a ninja leader, he then seeks his council. Bruce then after extensive training returns to a demoralizing Gotham City, which is being controlled by organized crime. During all this Bruce is slowly finding a new identity. The revelation of a cave under his home, along with an armored suit, leads him to lay a foundation to a new identity. This new identity would strike fear in the heart of wrong doers. Batman then sets out to take down the various schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia Don Falcone, the crazy doctor Jonathan “The Scarecrow” Crane, and a mysterious third party. “A Hero in Need of Saving” With such a beloved character, not to mention a potential producer of Big Profit, Batman had to be resurrected.. But in a proper manner. The right person had to be found. Some one with a proper vision and that had the ability to execute that vision. All this was found when Warner Brothers turned to director Christopher Nolan. His talent has been greatly proven in such films as “Memento” and “Insomnia”. In “Memento” he effectively told a story that began with the ending and ended at the beginning. All while showing how talented Guy Pierce, really is. After this film, no one has used Pierce as effectively as Nolan did. Also in “Insomnia” we find proof of his talent. In this Murder Thriller, we find him directing three major actors in Hilary Swank, Al Pachino, and Robin Williams. He was critically acclaimed and magnificently turned Williams into a character he seldom plays… A homicidal maniac. As director of “Batman Begins” we find once again his real commitment to strong story telling. He has created a Batman film that is in all actually incomparable to its predecessors. It is that much better. While Tim Burtons Bat-Films were dark and delicious… it does not have the emotional punch that Nolan’s has. In “Batman Begins” we receive so much more. We get insights, and question get answered like: Where did Batman learn his awesome fighting ability? How did his costume come to exists? Also, we emotionally come to understand, the in-depth reason for him becoming a vigilante. Christopher Nolan was given the green light and delivered us a story that mirrors reality. Plus, a real fun thrill ride, action film, that packs human emotion. “Excellent Film” There are many reasons to call “Batman Begins” an excellent film. First, the story is well crafted and is complete in every way. As an origin tale, it takes you into the different stages that led to Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. This tale pulls at your emotional strings and makes you actually feel something for him. Seeing him for once not as this invincible icon and more like a fragile human being, that is on the rise. It became a very enjoyable experience. Also, the villains in the movie are perfectly crafted. We did not get an over indulge of the bad guy. For example with The Scarecrow, his brevity in the film was just what the doctor ordered. We got just enough, to were it was that good. Just enough, to leave a strong impression. Other villains in the film are also used wisely and to the proper flow of the film. Best of all, this film leaves us wanting more. Moments after you finish watching it. You yearn for more. You begin speculating about what is to come next. It is really that good of a movie. We can only hope that if a sequel is made, that we should be fortunate if it is as good as this one was. This film was as complete as you could hope for. “The Batman” If you have watched any of Christian Bale’s previous films, then already know how good an actor he is. For those who don’t, all they have to do is watch him in this film and they will have enough to know it. The great thing about him in this film, is the fact that he brings actual emotion to the character. Unlike the actors that portrayed Batman in the past. They always seemed to me, very one dimensional. The great thing about Bale is the authenticity that he creates. In this movie you can see Batman as angry, sad, vulnerable, mean, scary, and for once.. See him smile and joke a bit. Christian Bale put on the suit and did not play Batman, he became Batman. The Others Liam Neeson always plays mentors to perfection. We have seen him do it flawlessly in films such as Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, Kingdom of Heaven, and Gangs of New York. Here he is no less impeccable at playing an all knowing wise teacher in this film. His performance is one of the many solid acting jobs in this film. The rest of the cast also proved to be as solid. Katie Holmes, surprised me much, in her portrayal of detective Rachel Dawes. She has been quite pleasant in movie such as “Go” and “Pieces of April” but she has the tendency to play young teeny-bopper characters. Here she has impressed by playing a character who is more mature. Cillian Murphy was the menacing man Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. The Scarecrow. He gave a very chilling performance. Of the few intense moment of graphic content in the film, he helped in a few. Someone who most definitely is owed an honorable mention is Mr. Michael Caine. He played Alfred the butler. If you ever had a picture in your mind of how Alfred would be outside of the comics, Michael Caine has surely brought that picture to life. A small part, but played quite largely. “Batman Begins” is truly the resurrection of the Batman Franchise. Filled with solid performances, solid directing, and a story that is complete, this is the Batman movie that we have been waiting for.